More Topics

Weather Forecast

Dr. Roach

Primary tabs

Author Content

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 66-year-old woman who usually is too hot. When I tell my doctors, they just sort of laugh it off. It is making my life miserable because if I keep the heat or air conditioning where it is comfortable for me, it is too cold for others. I hate summer and stay inside in the air conditioning. I keep the temperature in my house at 64 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and winter. I know other members of my family do not tolerate being out in the sun when it's hot, but they aren't plagued with being too hot otherwise. The sensation of being too warm comes and goes.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am in my 60s. About 40 years ago, I had a case of shingles. Can shingles re-occur, or having once had it am I protected from having it again? I've been given conflicting information about whether I need to be vaccinated. -- M.F. DEAR DR. ROACH: I heard a report from a recent study that said a person who has shingles early in life is more likely to suffer a stroke. Would you please explain why? -- A.L.R. ANSWER: Shingles is a disease caused by the reactivation of varicella zoster virus, the virus for chickenpox, which lays dormant in the body for years or even decades.

DEAR DR. ROACH: About three years ago, my doctor did not like the feel of my prostate, so he prescribed tamsulosin. After taking it for about four to five months, I was not able to obtain a full erection. I talked to the doctor about this, and he said that at my age, 67, our body changes and that this medicine has the least amount of side effects for this condition. -- R.E. ANSWER: Your doctor is right that tamsulosin (Flomax) has a low incidence of erectile dysfunction.

DEAR DR. ROACH: In order to detect the existence of a hernia, I had a CAT scan. It revealed something mysterious on my liver. The doctor then ordered an ultrasound, and pronounced a simple cyst, not cancer. Others tell me that an ultrasound cannot be conclusive; only a biopsy can do that. Thus, what I have on my liver either may indeed be cancer or become cancer. I know that at age 84 I cannot or should not undergo the very aggressive treatment for liver cancer, so could it be that my doctor is not saying more, knowing that if it is cancer, nothing can be done anyway?

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband is an elementary-school teacher, age 69. He started teaching in 1983 with beautiful handwriting. By 2003 he had difficulty trying to write. As the years went by, the hand problem got worse. He went to a specialist, and he was diagnosed with writer's cramp, or, as they called it, focal dystonia. They explained it as a problem with connections at the back of his brain; there was no way to stimulate that part of the brain safely. The doctor offered medicine, but we decided that the side effects weren't worth it. Our son thinks a chiropractor might help.

DEAR DR. ROACH: You wrote about a man who had a diabetic foot sore that wouldn't heal. I am diabetic and had a sore on my big toe about a year ago that wouldn't heal, so my podiatrist sent me to a doctor at a hospital wound center. After three visits, the doctor started talking about removing a bone from my toe, and I refused to accept it. I had received a catalog in the mail that had alternative remedies for some health problems. One of the items was a wound honey, used to treat diabetic sores and bed-pressure sores.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I had a CT scan due to broken ribs from a very recent fall. The scan revealed a large teratoma near my heart. I am 69 and was previously unaware of this formation. No suggestion has been given to me regarding further investigation or treatment of the teratoma. I am assuming it may have been present at birth and does not cause any problem. But now I am wondering if it should be monitored. Can a teratoma grow or migrate in the body? Any information on teratoma will be appreciated. -- S.S. ANSWER: A teratoma is a type of tumor of germ cells, the cells that become eggs or sperm.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am in good general health. My problem is not being able to drink enough water to quench my thirst, especially in warm weather. If I drink more than 25 ounces per day, my stomach becomes upset. In warm weather, I have to balance my fluid intake between dehydration and an upset stomach. I am not diabetic. Is there a solution? -- E.K. ANSWER: A sensation of feeling bloated after fluid intake is not uncommon among athletes during competitions. I have heard many possible treatments.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am writing about a lifelong problem I've had with food. An article in my local newspaper spelled out exactly what I've lived through for 55 years. The article was about an 8-year-old boy who is autistic and caused problems by bringing his own food into a sports grill. It described him as "autistic," "a special-needs child" and that he "only eats 15 types of food." Also, it noted that, to the boy, "certain foods smell different ... look different ... has to look a certain way." This is exactly my life story. I eat only a limited number of foods, too.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I had a CT scan due to broken ribs from a very recent fall. The scan revealed a large teratoma near my heart. I am 69 and was previously unaware of this formation. No suggestion has been given to me regarding further investigation or treatment of the teratoma. I am assuming it may have been present at birth and does not cause any problem. But now I am wondering if it should be monitored. Can a teratoma grow or migrate in the body? Any information on teratoma will be appreciated. -- S.S. ANSWER: A teratoma is a type of tumor of germ cells, the cells that become eggs or sperm.